Toothbrush



y 8,v 1930- G o. BURLEW 1,770,195

TOOTHBRUSH Filed Jan. 5, 1929 ATTORNEY Patented July 8, 1933 GILIDEROY O. BURLEW, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY TOOTHBRUSH Application filed January 5, 1929. Serial No. 330,447.

This invention relates to tooth brushes used for cleaning teeth and has as its object the provision of a tooth brush which is so constructed as to prevent the accumulation of foreign matter thereon, and designed to throw oil such matter when in use.

The tooth brushes in popular use, consist of a relatively hard handle on the head of which are mounted groups of bristles. The

bristles referred to are usually made of rela.-*

material provided with upwardly extending,

spaced, integral, tubular, bristle-supporting tively hard material, to present rigid rubbing tips, and are made relatively long and thin to permit of their flexing to conform to the various surfaces of the teeth being brushed. Because of their length, the bristles require a long time to dry, permitting the cleansing medium and foreign matter to pass to the lowermost ends of the bristles, where said matter settles, resulting in a very unhygienic condition and causing the rotting and breaking of the bristles.

It is an object of my invention to provide a tooth brush, having the desired rigid bristle tips but so constructed as to prevent the passing of foreign matter to the ends of the bristles on the brush handle, and to automatically throw off any of such matter that passes to the usual spaces between the bristle groups on the brush handle.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a tooth brush wherein only a small portion of the bristle body is exposed, which is therefore adapted to dry more readily and which is so constructed as to lend greater rigidity to the bristle tips and enable more accurate flexing of the bristle groups (without breaking) relatively to the surfaces of the teeth.

These and other advantages, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 represents a side elevational View of a toothbrush, constructed in accordance with my invention, partly in section.

Figure 2 represents a transverse cross sectional view on lines 2-2 of Figure 1, in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figure 3 represents a side elevational vien of another form of tooth brush, embodying my invention, partly in section, and

Figure 4.- represents a transverse sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of Figure 3, in the direction indicated by the arrow.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the bristles are mounted in groups on the head 6 of a suitable handle 7, and a base 8 of rubber or other suitable members 9, is secured to the head 6 in any" vulcanizing.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, a rubber or other suitable base 11 is molded with upwardly extending tubular bristle supporting members 9, for the reception of the lower ends of the bristles desired or convenient manner, preferably by 5, the base 11 being further provided with a longitudinal recess'12, for the reception of the head 13 of a brush handle 14.

If desired, an additional sealing agent, such as cement, may be used on the lower ends of the bristles to hermetically seal them in the bristle supporting members 9 of the base 11.

During the vulcanization process, the material will flow between the portions of vthe bristles which are located. in the base 8 and the tubular, upwardly extending, bristlesupporting elements 9, forming a hermetical seal at the upper end 10 of each supporting element which will effectively prevent the passage of any foreign matter below the upper end 10 of the supporting elements 9. As shown in th'edrawings, the supporting elements 9 may be rounded at their upper ends, to facilitate the drainage from the exposed ends of the bristles.

The receiving elements 9, illustrated in all of the figures in the drawing, are spaced to allow a great range of flexibility.

The flexing of the bristle-supporting members 9, when in use, will alternately stretch and contract, thus dislodging any matter which would normally settle therebetween.

The short, exposed portions of the bristles, dry rapidly after use, preventing decay and breakage, and the entire structure is free from germ-collecting parts and lends itself admirably to rapid cleaning after use, by a stream of water. 5 The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1 1. In a brush the combination of a head bearing a plurality of sets of bristles, and a resilient member secured to said head, said resilient member being provided with up wardly extending integral tubular members, eiich tubularmember embracing a set of brist es.

o 2. In a brush, the combination of a head bearing bristles, a resilient member secured to said head, said resilient member being provided with upwardlyextending spaced integral tubular bristle supporting members, and a sealing and supporting agent in each of said supporting members designed to firmly support the bristles therein.

3. In combination with a brush having a head bearing a plurality of sets of bristles, a resilient member secured to the head, said member having a plurality of upwardly extending sleeves resiliently gripping the sets of bristles.

This specification signed this 3rd day of January, 1929.

- GILDEROY O. BURLEW. 

